New homecoming activities this year included a tug of war and sand castles.

About 150 students gathered Thursday night at Prince’s Point, a cozy fringe of beach
with a backdrop of moving water and turning leaves. Natalie Noha, a fourth-year student
from Menominee, summed up the goings-on: “Things fun and different,” she said.

She was talking about homecoming, of course, which sported several new activities
this year, four of which were at Prince’s Point: a tug of war, sand castles, a relay
race, and a bonfire. The sand castles were autumn’s snow statues.

The festivities began at five o’clock in the soft glow of the evening sun, which proved
fleeting. Soon the sun died and the chill air had people hunching and putting their
hands inside their long sleeves. The students of Delta Sigma Phi built a small, half-hearted
fire. “For warmth,” one said. “We’re hoboes.”

The tug of war was loud and boisterous. The team from Theta Tau was strong, and they
learned the ropes quickly—kicking footholds in the dirt before a match.

The sand castle work was more subdued and intent. One tall young man came on the scene
and said, “I came to build a sand castle. I’ve got knives and spoons. Is that legal?”
No, he was told. The rule: use anything natural on the beach. Each team had a plot
and a bucket and the charge: display Husky pride and be in good taste. Thirty-six
groups participated. There were castles, moats, drawbridges, and tunnels, palisades
of twigs and rock and sand, as well as forests of ferns and grasses and weeds.

“We have no game plan,” one group reported. “We’re just doing whatever. It’s a work
in progress. It’s called the ‘please-God-stay-up.’” As we spoke it collapsed under
the weight of a new bucket of wet sand.

Marc Starnes, a fifth-year student from Kingsford, loves Tech, loves the location,
and loves these doings. Homecoming is his favorite campus event, especially the new
events this year. High on his list: the community service component. He worked Wednesday
at the Little Huskies Child Care Center. The next evening’s cold didn’t dampen his
enthusiasm. “I keep moving, keep busy, and keep warm thoughts,” he said.

Rachel Wussow, of Student Activities, had her hands full Thursday night, directing
all the helpers, answering questions, and keeping events moving along so they were
done by dusk. Wussow loves working with students. She said that these guidelines underscored
the overall homecoming effort: “No risk involved and keep it fair.” She has the attitude
of a servant. “They pay my salary,” she said of the students.

Just before dark there was a three-part relay race:

1. Transfer water from a full bucket to an empty bucket, 15 feet apart, with sponges.2. Transfer a tennis ball, tucked under the chin, from one person to the next, no
hands. It was a cozy affair.3. And pull a small sled on skis, for a hundred feet, with a passenger, Blizzard T.
Husky, sitting on a chair with no legs. He weighs 200 pounds.

Blizzard also played a role in a sand castle fashioned by Chelsea Garceau, a third-year
student from Negaunee, and her partner. They presaged the outcome of the football
game Saturday against the Findlay Oilers. Their castle depicted a knocked-down oil
tank and a clue to how it was done: Blizzard’s telltale paw prints in the sand.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university, home to more than
7,000 students from 54 countries. Founded in 1885, the University offers more than
120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering,
forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, and
social sciences. Our campus in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula overlooks the Keweenaw Waterway
and is just a few miles from Lake Superior.